Sikhs' beheading: SGPC asks PM to intervene

Headlines Today Bureau New DelhiThe Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up with Pakistan the security of Sikhs in the country.

Criticising the beheading of two Sikhs by the Taliban in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said: "Tough action should be taken against the Taliban for this crime."

"The prime minister should take up the issue with the Pakistan government. It's the responsibility of Pakistan to ensure the security of Sikhs, who are a minority in the country," Makkar said.

He also said that the SGPC was keen to send a delegation to Pakistan to learn about the condition of Sikhs living there.

Two Sikh businessmen, Jaspal Singh and Mahal Singh, were beheaded by the Taliban and their heads dumped at a gurdwara in Peshawar.

They, along with several other Sikhs, had been kidnapped on January 19 from Khyber Agency. The Taliban had demanded a ransom of Rs 30 million which the families were unable to pay.

Around 10,000 Sikhs live in the NWFP and tribal areas. This is not the first time that the minority Sikhs have been attacked by the Taliban.

Since 2009, the Sikh population has been forced to pay lakhs of rupees as religious tax to the Taliban. This has forced hundreds of them to flee to cities across Pakistan.

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